Doctor's offices are germ havens

OKLAHOMA CITY — The very place you go to seek refuge from and treatment for germs, viruses and bacteria — the doctor''s office — may the easiest place to get sick, according to KOCO-TV.

Infectious disease specialist Dr. Doug Hardy said: "Definitely, you can. A health care environment is a place where there''s lot of germs and infections and there''s sick people. Many of those viruses that people have, particularly the flu, are easily transmittable."

Swab tests show that high-traffic areas in the office, including magazines, restrooms, door handles and elevators are havens for germs, the story stated.

Tests show that the most commonly contaminated areas in a doctor''s office are the buttons on elevators and the check-in desk; armchairs in waiting rooms are the least contaminated, the story noted.

While proper hand-washing is crucial in the fight against spreading germs, proper cleaning of high-touch surfaces is also a necessary precaution, the story added.